Dark reality in a lighter vein

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Protests, despair, anger have been the defining mood in the capital ever since the gangrape in December and the recent rape of a five-year-old. In sync with the issue, but on a completely different note altogether, a bunch of young men offered their take on the topic — with a hearty dose of laughter.

An Open Mic Comedy night recently had the performers highlighting socially relevant issues with a tinge of sarcasm. Laughter is an effective tool to highlight bitter truths, say stand-up comedians in the city who touch the audience’s sensitive side without hurting sentiments.
Nishant aka Joke Singh, founder of Joke, Joker & Jokest, says that after the Nirbhaya rape incident most stand-up comedians across the nation have mellowed down on rape jokes. He says, “The audiences have become very sensitive after witnessing the heinous crimes in the past few months. A fellow artiste had to apologise at a recent gig when he cracked a joke on rape and the audience took offense. We comment on issues like female foeticide, sexual harassment and poor state of security in the country, and the audience often agrees with us. For instance, if I have to bring up the issue of women’s security in Delhi, I would crack a joke like how in the capital even terrorists think twice before stepping out in the dark because they might get picked up by rapists. A joke like this wouldn’t hurt sentiments and put across the message too.”
Zakir Khan, who is known for his simple yet ironic digs, feels that since Delhi is a melting pot of cultures, one has to be really careful about touching sensitive issues. He says, “As a stand-up comedian one cannot steer away from current issues, but at the same time when the city is facing a series of crimes against women, the gravity of the situation has to be respected. I am Muslim and I often joke about our upbringing, and sometimes on the peculiar behaviour of people towards our community. Also, I do a lot of jokes on men and women’s chemistry at various stages of life.”
For Kabir Sharma, who works as full-time RJ and part-time stand-up artiste, bringing up sensitive issues on a public platform is an act of responsibility. He says, “While dealing with sensitive issues like rape or murder, one has to be intelligent and responsible as a commentator. These are not subjects that are meant to be joked about, but as an observer of society we cannot miss the burning issues. Our act is meant to make people laugh, but at the time we also provoke them to think and relate to the issue.”
For Sumit Anand, who recently joined the stand-up comedy circuit, blending two extreme topics in an anecdote works in his favour most of the time. He says, “When I tell a joke around a sensitive subject I balance it out by adding a different subject in the context. For instance I make jokes on Indian politics and I give it a twist by mixing it with porn. It’s ironical yet honest and people laugh. I also crack a lot of jokes on marriage and disparities in our society.”